Apparatus for mechanically holding, maneuvering and maintaining a body part of a patient during orthopedic surgery

Abstract

The present invention is a novel and unique orthopedic apparatus for holding, maneuvering and maintaining a body part of a patient during orthopedic surgery. The orthopedic apparatus provides for assisting the primary surgeon during orthopedic surgery by holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg, thereby eliminating any assistant surgeon in the surgery operation. The orthopedic apparatus is capable of independently accomplishing transverse sliding, up-and-down tilting, lateral swinging, longitudinal extension/retraction, and axial rotation so that the surgeon can properly positioned a patient's leg for the orthopedic operation. The orthopedic apparatus has self-locking gear mechanisms to hold the various sections of the orthopedic apparatus in position to thereby hold the patient's leg in the proper position throughout the surgical operation. The orthopedic apparatus can be mechanically, electrically or hydraulically driven to adjust the orthopedic apparatus, so that the surgeon can position the patient's leg with great accuracy during surgery.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An orthopedic apparatus for mechanically holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table which has two opposite clamps located adjacent to one end of the operating table, the apparatus comprising: a. a clamping section, a tilting section, a swinging section, and an extended rotatable section;   b. said clamping section including an elongated cross bar with two opposite ends, two clamping blocks slidably attached at two opposite ends of the cross bar respectively, and a sliding block slidably attached on the cross bar between the two clamping blocks, where each clamping block has an integrally connected extension rod attachable to a respective one of said two opposite clamps on said operating table for holding the cross bar adjacent and parallel to said end of said operating table;   c. said tilting section including a tilting gear box integrally attached to said sliding block and having a self-locking tilting gear mechanism, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting gear box, a spring loaded lever mounted on the tilting part and engagable with the tilting gear mechanism for quick and rough adjustment of the tilting part, and a pair of tilting wheels connected to the tilting gear mechanism for fine adjustment of an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part;   d. said swinging section including a swinging gear box integrally attached to said tilting part of said tilting section and having a self-locking swinging gear mechanism, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging gear box, and a pair of swinging wheels connected to the swinging gear mechanism for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part;   e. said extended rotatable section including a rotation gear box integrally attached to said swinging part of said swinging section and having a self-locking rotation gear mechanism, an elongated sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation gear box, and a pair of rotation wheels connected to the rotation gear mechanism for rotating the elongated sliding track about its longitudinal axis;   f. said elongated sliding track having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two support shafts extending down and an elongated rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to the rotation gear box, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of the sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg; and   g. a U-shaped thigh support holder attached to said tilting section for receiving a thigh of said patient and having means for securing the patient's thigh thereto;   h. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table and a buttocks of said patient is located adjacent to said end of said operating table, a surgeon can slide said sliding block laterally to align said orthopedic apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the tilting, swinging, length and rotation of said respective sections of said orthopedic apparatus to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       2. The orthopedic apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising disposable paddings attached to said foot holder of said elongated sliding track and said U-shaped thigh support holder. 
     
     
       3. The orthopedic apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising an upper inverted U-shaped thigh holder for applying pressure on top of the patient's thigh and having at least three loop eyelets through which the means for securing the patient's thigh are passed. 
     
     
       4. The orthopedic apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising an upper L-shaped cover for applying pressure on top of the patient's ankle and foot and having at least three loop eyelets through which the means for securing the patient's foot are passed. 
     
     
       5. The orthopedic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus is made out of composite material. 
     
     
       6. The orthopedic apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said apparatus is made out of light-weight aluminum material. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for mechanically holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table having at least one end, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means section attachable to said at least one end of said operating table, a tilting section, a swinging section and a rotatable section;   b. said tilting section including a tilting gear box attached to said attaching means section and having a tilting gear mechanism, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting gear box, a lever mounted on the tilting part and engagable with the tilting gear mechanism for quick and rough adjustment of the tilting part, and a pair of tilting wheels connected to the tilting gear mechanism for fine adjustment of an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part;   c. said swinging section including a swinging gear box attached to said tilting part of said tilting section and having a swinging gear mechanism, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging gear box, and a pair of swinging wheels connected to the swinging gear mechanism for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part;   d. said rotatable section including a rotation gear box attached to said swinging part of said swinging section and having a rotation gear mechanism, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation gear box, and a pair of rotation wheels connected to the rotation gear mechanism for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis; and   e. said sliding track having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to the rotation gear box, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of the sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg;   f. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table and a buttocks of said patient is located adjacent to said at least one end of said operating table, a surgeon can align said orthopedic apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the tilting, swinging, length and rotation of said respective sections of said orthopedic apparatus to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising a disposable padding attached to said foot holder of said sliding track. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising a thigh support holder attached to said tilting section for receiving a thigh of said patient, and having means for securing the patient's thigh thereto. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said thigh support holder has a disposable padding attached to said thigh support holder. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said apparatus is made out of composite material. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said end of the operating table includes at least two clamps, said attaching means section further includes a cross bar with two opposite ends, two clamping blocks slidably attached at two opposite ends of the cross bar respectively, and a sliding block slidably attached on the cross bar between the two clamping blocks, where each of the two clamping blocks has an integrally connected extension rod attachable to a respective one of said two clamps on the operating table. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for mechanically holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means attachable to said operating table, a tilting section, a swinging section and a rotatable section;   b. said tilting section including a tilting means attached to said attaching means, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting means and having means for adjusting an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part;   c. said swinging section including a swinging means attached to said tilting part of said tilting section, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging means and having means for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part; and   d. said rotatable section including a rotation means attached to said swinging part of said swinging section, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation means and having means for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis;   e. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table, a surgeon can align said orthopedic apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the tilting, swinging, length and rotation of said respective sections of said orthopedic apparatus to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said sliding track has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to the rotation means, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table which has at least two clamps at one end of the operating table, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means attachable to said operating table and having a cross bar with two opposite ends, two clamping blocks slidably attached at the two opposite ends of the cross bar respectively, and a sliding block slidably attached on the cross bar between the two clamping blocks, where each of the two blocks has an integrally connected extension rod attachable to a respective one of said at least two clamps on said operating table; and   b. a non-invasive tilting section having a tilting means attached to said attaching means, a non-invasive tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting means and having means for adjusting an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part and independently adjusting the tilting of said tilting section to maneuver said patient's leg so that said leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation;   c. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table, a surgeon can align said apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the tilting of said tilting section to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a swinging section which includes a swinging means, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging means, and a pair of swinging wheels connected to the swinging means for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a rotatable section which includes a rotation means, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation means, and a pair of rotation wheels connected to the rotation means for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said sliding track has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two support shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to said rotation means, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of the sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means attachable to said operating table;   b. a swinging section having a swinging means attached to said attaching means, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging means and means for adjusting and maintaining a lateral swinging of the swinging part at any degree of tilting of said patient's leg; and   c. tilting section having a tilting means, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting means and a pair of tilting wheels for adjusting an up and down tilting of the tilting part;   d. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table, a surgeon can align said apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the swinging of said swinging section the tilting of said tilting section to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the operating table includes at least two clamps at one end of the table and said attaching means includes a cross bar with two opposite ends, two clamping blocks slidably attached at two opposite ends of the cross bar respectively, and a sliding block slidably attached on the cross bar between the two clamping blocks, where each of the two clamping blocks has an integrally connected extension rod attachable to a respective one of said at least two clamps on the operating table. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 further comprising a rotatable section which includes a rotation means, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation means, and a pair of rotation wheels connected to the rotation means for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein said sliding track has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two support shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to said rotation means, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of the sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus for holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means attachable to said operating table and a rotatable section;   b. said rotatable section including a rotation means attached to said attaching means, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation means and having means for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis; and   c. said sliding track having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two support shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to the rotation means, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of the sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg;   d. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table, a surgeon can align said apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the length and rotation of said rotatable section to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said attaching means includes a cross bar with two opposite ends, two clamping blocks slidably attached at two opposite ends of the cross bar respectively, and a sliding block slidably attached on the cross bar between the two clamping blocks. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 further comprising a tilting section which includes a tilting means, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting means, and a pair of tilting wheels for adjusting an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus as defined in claim 23 further comprising a swinging section which includes a swinging means, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging means, and a pair of swinging wheels connected to the swinging means for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part. 
     
     
       27. An apparatus for holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table having at least one end, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means section attachable to said at least one end of said operating table, a tilting section, a swinging section, and a rotatable section;   b. said tilting section including a tilting motor driven means attached to said attaching means section, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting motor driven means and having means for adjusting an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part;   c. said swinging section including a swinging motor driven means attached to said tilting part of said tilting section, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging motor driven means and having means for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part;   d. said rotatable section including a rotation motor driven means attached to said swinging part of said swinging section, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation motor driven means and having means for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis;   e. said sliding track having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two support shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to said rotation motor driven means, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of the sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg; and   f. a U-shaped thigh support holder attached to said tilting section for receiving a thigh of said patient and having means for securing the patient's thigh thereto;   g. control means mounted on each one of said motor driven means for controlling the adjustments of said tilting part of said tilting section, said swinging part of said swinging section and said sliding track of said rotatable section; and   h. means for powering said apparatus and electrically connecting said tilting, swinging and rotation motor driven mechanism means through said control means respectively;   i. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table and a buttocks of said patient is located adjacent to said at least one end of said operating table, a surgeon can align said apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the tilting, swinging, length and rotation of said respective sections of said apparatus to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.   
     
     
       28. An apparatus for holding, maneuvering and maintaining a patient's leg during an orthopedic surgery and used in conjunction with an operating table having at least one end, the apparatus comprising: a. an attaching means attachable to said at least one end of said operating table, a tilting section, a swinging section and a rotatable section;   b. said tilting section including a tilting motor driven means attached to said attaching means, a tilting part hingeably connected to the tilting motor driven means and having means for adjusting an up-and-down tilting of the tilting part;   c. said swinging section including a swinging motor driven means attached to said tilting part of said tilting section, a swinging part hingeably connected to the swinging motor driven means and having means for adjusting a lateral swinging of the swinging part;   d. said rotatable section including a rotation motor driven means attached to said swinging part of said swinging section, a sliding track rotatably connected to the rotation motor driven means and having means for rotating the sliding track about its longitudinal axis;   e. said sliding track having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion having two support shafts extending down and a rod attached therebetween and having a proximal end connected to said rotation motor driven means, the distal portion having a foot holder for receiving and having means for securing thereto an ankle and foot of said patient and slidably attached to the proximal portion so that the length of said sliding track is adjustable to fit said patient's leg; and   f. a U-shaped thigh support holder attached to said tilting section for receiving a thigh of said patient and having means for securing the patient's thigh thereto;   g. a computer mounted remote from said apparatus and having a joy-stick and a keyboard for automatically controlling the adjustments of said tilting part of said tilting section, said swinging part of said swinging section and said sliding track of said rotatable section; and   h. means for powering said apparatus and electrically connecting said tilting, swinging and rotation motor driven means through said computer respectively;   i. whereby when said patient is lying on said operating table and a buttocks of said patient is located adjacent to said at least one end of said operating table, a surgeon can align said apparatus with said patient's leg which is to be operated on, and independently adjust the tilting, swinging, length and rotation of said respective sections of said apparatus to maneuver said patient's leg so that the leg is properly positioned and held in a proper position throughout the surgical operation, and the surgeon can further adjust the position of said patient's leg from time to time during the surgery with great accuracy.